Antonio Cánovas del Castillo

Born in Málaga in 1828, Antonio Cánovas del Castillo became one of the most influential Spanish politicians of his century. He was also a historian and writer, and his public reputation rests on both his ideas and his political skill.

Cánovas is best known for his leading role in the Bourbon Restoration after the fall of the First Spanish Republic. He served several times as prime minister and was a main architect of the political order established in the 1870s, including the Constitution of 1876. His work left a deep mark on Spanish public life, especially in the way power was organized between the major parties of the period.

His career ended violently in 1897, when he was assassinated at the spa of Santa Águeda. Even so, he remains a key figure for anyone trying to understand Spain in the second half of the 19th century: a conservative statesman, an influential historian, and one of the main builders of the Restoration era.